BR-4.8FAC.II Commando
History The FAC BR-4.8FAC.II Commando is the smaller brother of the BR-7.62FAC and was created to fit the requirements for UKs latest PDW replacement announcement. FAC first planed to challenge the other competitors with the BR-7.62FAC, but the calibre 7.62FAC was not accepted by UK army officials. As result of this failure during advanced notification, FAC engineers sat together and figured out how to solve their calibre problem. Within short time they decided to choose the 4.8x33mm cartridge of the MP4.8. As this bullet was created for high penetration power, high hit probability, long range, high impact velocity and high wounding effect, they considered it to be the perfect cartridge for the necessary downsizing process of the BR-7.62FAC to fit the requirements of the UK PDW replacement announcement. In 2017 B3S, a great user of this PDW, announced some issues with the ballistics and penetration capability of the 4.8x33mm. The problem was, that the 4.8x33 was created to penetrate CRISAT panels at around 100m, but these standarts were obsolete, as it based on Cold War requirements. Even though it penetrates on twice the distance as required, it falls back behind the 4.6x30 and 5.7x28, and is not capable of penetrating modern plate body armor on distances over 50m. B3S also asked for another concept, because the ammunition is very heavy compared to the H&K and FNH calibres. A fully loaded 30 rounds magazine weights more than a 40 rounds H&K MP7 magazine. This fact plus the lower penetration power lead to a return to a standart round instead of the sabot concept. The new concept brought a bullet in diameter between the 5.7 and 4.6, but with a shorter case to fit the existing 4.8x33 guns. So these guns only needed new magazines, barrel, bolts and buffer springs instead of the costs to develope new gun and replace all existing ones. Technical Specification The BR-4.8FAC.II Commando features a short stroke piston action with rotating bolt, has fully ambidextrous fire selectors and a left side mounted charging handle. To sight your target, it has a removable ghost ring rearsight with windage adjustment and a folding front sight with elevation adjustment. Four picatinny rails are ready to receive optical sights, lasers, flashlights, pistol grips or anything else you want to mount on a gun. Another important feature of the BR-4.8FAC.II Commando is its firing operation. To ensure maximum accuracy it fires from a closed bolt in semi auto mode, wheras from open bolt in full auto mode to prevent cook-offs and enhance cooling. The weapon has a rotary bolt locking mechanism with 7 radially symmetrical locking lugs that engage a series of recesses in the barrel extension, and is actuated by a short stroke piston. The radial arrangement of locking lugs distributes the firing load evenly around the bolt head and barrel socket, reducing stress and increasing the longevity of these critical components. Another important feature to reduce abrasion is the used ammunition, which is a plastic cone containing the subcalibre penetrator. This plastic cone seperates through air drag at the muzzle, letting the penetrator fly. The bolt carrier is equipped with a curved cam track, that guides the bolts cam pin and rotates the bolt during the movement of the piston to either lock or unlock the bolt from behind the abutments in the barrel socket. Incorporated into the bolt carrier group is an anti-bounce device, consisting of a 4' carbide rod that rides within the piston extensions hollow interior and moves back and forth during the recoil and counter-recoil cycle, reducing bolt bounce and preventing the possibility of firing out of the battery during closet bolt firing. To keep the system light, upper and lower receiver, as well as the stock and outer stock tube are manufacured out of reinforced polyamide, handguard, rail system and stock tube are made out of aircraft aluminum. Also the MP5 style magazine is made out of polyamide to keep the system light even when fully loaded. BR-4.8FAC.II Commando Spec.png|Two Special Forces models with equippment and Tan parts. Both use the short mag with 20 rounds 4.8x33mm and 30 rounds 5.2x24mm capacity. BR-4.8FAC.II Commando 30 MySpec.png|Special Forces version with a long mag, holding 30 rounds of 4.8x33mm and 40 rounds of 5.2x24mm.. 4,8x33 FAC and 5,2x24 FAC.png|4.8x33mm FAC subcalibre round (second position), and 5.2x24mm FAC (third position) compared to 9mm (top) and .45 apc (fourth position). On the very bottom you see a schematic ot the penetrator sitting in the plastic sabot.